My intention in creating this blog was to offer a helpful and positive viewpoint to those who it reaches. In a time of division and increased tensions, I feel we all need a little nudge to walk on the positive side of life. It doesn’t always come easily but I promise it is worth the effort. I have found myself being drawn into watching short videos with kittens, puppies and babies that leave a smile on my face. It’s the simplistic and innocent start of life that I find uplifts me and joyously helps me see hope for the future. Personally, it also invokes a feeling of protection in me.

It has been decades since my son was a child, let alone an infant. Still, I can’t help but feel I will always be a mama bear. With that admission, I know better than to intercede in his life. My role now, as his parent, is to pray for him daily and hope how he was raised will continue to lead him the best way through life. I can still recall his first steps, the transition from a crib to a bed and the first time he rode a bike without training wheels. These are the moments captured in the pages of a baby book.

There are the typical moments that a parent can gladly recall but there are other memories that elicit the opposite in response. Those are the times that you find your heart in your throat and your breath strangely gone. I have experienced those moments. One recently came to mind. Rather than a typical high chair I wanted my son to have a baby butler. It was a high chair surrounded by a table, more than just a tray. That is what my brothers and I had when we were young and I wanted the same for my son. All was fine until one day the bottom dropped out of the chair. I am grateful that even at that young age, my son had the presence of mind to grab the bars around the edge of the table preventing him from falling through. I shudder to think of what harm that fall could have caused.

There are dangers that children can face through no fault of their own. Summer continues to bring the sad stories of children left alone in hot vehicles. There are other dangers that can affect them. I recently saw where a child was safely removed from a deep drop into a channel for a sump pump. If a sibling had not alerted the parents the outcome could have been different. The cover had become loose and dislodged and the child fell in without any warning. A longtime friend has recently shared with me a danger that exists in many yards, that sounds much the same as the sump pump cover. Another culprit is the inadequately secured septic tank cover.

Very often I write my blogs with tongue in cheek. If you follow me, you might remember I posted a blog about Septic Trucks in April. Cutting to the chase, it was suggested the reader would be much better off if they were not “full of it”. With the new information that was shared with me I find the only responsible thing to do is share it with all of you. In all seriousness, children are dying by accidently falling into septic tanks and drowning. It is the result of lids that are loose or deteriorated. Through the neglect or ignorance of an adult, a child can be put in a life or death situation. If you have a septic tank, waste no time in checking that your lid is secure and in good working order. Don’t take it for granted that the individual who last emptied the tank or the last one to have mowed over the area, left the lid as secure as it should be. If your neighbors also make use of a septic tank, a reminder to them would be helpful. A few minutes to ensure the security of your lid could protect the life of a child. It’s too late for the 50 children who die annually but we have the power to lower and eliminate that statistic.

There are times that children find danger innocently through play and considering the world their adventure. Their role in life is to grow and learn while it’s our role to protect them as they are entrusted to us. I can think of nothing sadder than to lose a child, and further acknowledge that it would not have happened if a few moments of focusing on safety had taken place. If you find this message is a bit different than most of my blogs, please know that in my mind, there is nothing more important than safeguarding a child. I would appreciate it if you would do me the honor of helping to spread the word.